GB2516659A

GB2516659A - Structure formation apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2516659A
Application number: GB201313487A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Charles Westbrook; Patricia Macgillivray
Original assignee: VZEE PAPER PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: VZEE PAPER PRODUCTS LIMITED
Priority date: 2013-07-29
Filing date: 2013-07-29
Publication date: 2015-02-04
Anticipated expiration: 2033-07-29
Also published as: GB2516659B; GB201313487D0

Abstract

Disclosed are two corresponding apparatuses and methods in which a sheet 12,16 is formed by a three stage process 6,10,18 the first 6 in which a single sheet 4 is formed into a repeating rectangular or square form 8, the second 10 in which the rectangular or square formed sheet is converted into a triangular form, with bases of the triangular forms forming effective first and second outer layers of the sheet 12. A cover sheet 16 is then applied to the sheet 12 in a third process 18, to form the finished sheet 12,16. The apparatuses and methods may form sheet material in a continuous, and more efficient manner than other common sheet structures, which typically come in the form of a repeating triangular pattern first sheet, sandwiched between two additional flat sheets.

Description

Structure Formation Apparatus The present invention relates generally to a structure formation apparatus, to a method of forming a structure, and a structure made using that apparatus or method.

It is known to form structures that are reinforced in some way. In once instance, for example, it is known to provide a composite structure that includes a profile (e.g. like a corrugation or undulation, such as a wave-like form), overlaid with a cover or capping sheet.

Such a cover or capping sheet may be located on an upper and/or lower surface of the profiled section. The resulting structure is far stronger than if the cover or capping layer was used in isolation, yet the resulting structure is still relatively lightweight. Such a structure is sometimes referred to as a board. The board does not necessarily need to be planar in form, and could be curved or similar. Such structures are often formed from paper-product, which allows for relatively cheap construction and disposal, yet still offers a good degree of robustness.

Although structures as described above are advantageous, methods and machines for forming such structures are typically inefficient. For instance, a section of profiled sheet may be formed. A section of planar sheet may then be used to cover or cap one surface of the profiled sheet. A second section of planar sheet may be used to cover or cap an opposite side of the profiled sheet. The final, composite structure thus comprises a profiled sheet section sandwiched between two planar sheet sections. However, forming a sheet in this sectional or batch-like manner leads to production inefficiencies, and a likely increase in production time and costs, and a related affect on sale costs.

It is an example aim of example embodiments of the present invention to at least partially obviate or mitigate one or more disadvantages of the prior art, whether identified herein or elsewhere, or to at least provide an alternative to existing methods and apparatus for forming structures as described herein.

According to the present invention there is provided at least one apparatus and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure formation apparatus, comprising: a first continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of first sheet; a profiler, arranged to receive the continuous source of first sheet from the first continuous sheet feeder, and to profile the first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; a former arrangement, arranged to receive the profiled first sheet, and to manipulate the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; a second continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of second sheet; a first cover arrangement, arranged to cover the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and to attach the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure formation apparatus, comprising: a profiler, arranged to continually receive a continuous source of first sheet from a first continuous sheet feeder, and to profile the first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; a former arrangement, arranged to receive the profiled first sheet, and to manipulate the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; a second continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of second sheet; a first cover arrangement, arranged to continually receive a continuous source of second sheet from a second continuous sheet feeder, and further arranged to cover the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and to attach the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a structure, the method comprising: providing a continuous source of first sheet; profiling the continuous source of first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; manipulating the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; providing a continuous source of second sheet; covering the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and attaching the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a structure, the method comprising: profiling a continuous source of first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; manipulating the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; continuously covering the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and attaching the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a (continuously formed) structure (continuously) formed using the structure forming apparatus of an aspect of the invention, or using the method of an aspect of the invention.

The former arrangement may comprise a first profiled belt that is shaped to receive and co-operate with a first side of the substantially rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet.

The profile of the first profiled belt may comprise a substantially trapezium wave profile.

The profile may comprise trapezium shaped recesses located in-between inverted trapezium shaped protrusions.

The first profiled belt may be configured to: round a corner to open up a section of the profile of the first profiled belt to receive and/or engage with a section of the rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet; and/or move from a cornering to close up a section of the profile of the first profiled belt to grip a section of the rectangle wave profile, and to urge the conversion of the rectangle wave profile toward the triangle wave profile; and/or round a corner to open up a section of the profile of the first profiled belt to release and/or disengage from a section of the profiled first sheet, once urged toward a triangle wave profile. The first profiled belt may also drive movement of the first sheet.

The former arrangement may comprise a second profiled belt that is shaped to co-operate with a second, substantially opposite, side of the substantially rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet.

The profile of the second profile belt may comprise a plurality of protrusions, for example in the forms of fins.

The second profiled belt may be configured to: round a corner to open up a section of the profile in the second profiled belt to receive and/or engage with a section of the rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet; and/or move froni a cornering to close up a section of the profile in the second profiled belt to retain a section of the rectangle wave profile and/or to maintain engagement of the profiled first sheet with the first profiled belt; and/or round a corner to open up a section of the profile in the second belt, and/or angle away from the profiled first sheet, to release and/or disengage from a section of the profiled first sheet; and/or to drive movement of the first sheet to further the conversion of the profile of the first toward the triangle wave profile.

A corner or cornering may be provided by or around a roller or other driver of the belt or belts.

Opposing bases of the triangle-section ducts may together form a second substantially continuous surface with the first sheet, substantially on an opposite side of the triangle-section ducts to the first substantially continuous surface.

The structure formation apparatus may further comprise: a third continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of third sheet; and/or a second cover arrangement, arranged to cover the second substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the/a third sheet, and to attach the third sheet to the second substantially continuous surface of the first sheet.

One or more of the first, second and/or third continuous sheet feeders may comprise one or more reels of respective sheet material.

One or more features of any aspect or embodiment described herein may, where appropriate to the skilled person from a reading of this disclosure, be used in conjunction with or replace one or more features of another aspect of embodiment described herein.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic Figures in which: Figure 1 schematically depicts a structure formation apparatus in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 schematically depicts example details of the embodiment of Figure 1.

According to example embodiments of the present invention, one or more disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by formation of a structure in a continuous manner. The structure can be formed continuously, which allows for more efficient construction and higher throughout. Figure 1 provides an example of how a structure can be formed continuously in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 schematically depicts a structure formation apparatus. The structure formation apparatus comprises a first continuous sheet feeder 2 in the form of a reel of sheet material.

The first continuous sheet feeder 2 is thus arranged to provide a continuous source of first sheet 4. In another embodiment (not shown), the apparatus may not comprise the first continuous sheet feeder (or any other sheet feeders, for that matter) and may instead simply be arranged to receive and use sheet from such one or more sheet feeders.

Referring back to Figure 1, the apparatus further comprises a profiler 6. The profiler 6 is arranged to receive the continuous source of first sheet 4 from the first continuous sheet feeder 2. The profiler 6 is arranged to profile the first sheet with a rectangle wave profile 8.

The profile might be considered as a corrugation. The profiling may be undertaken in any particular manner. Typically, the profiling might comprise performing one or more folding, and/or creasing, and/or scoring, and/or perforating actions on the sheet 4 in order to form the rectangle wave profile. Scoring and/or perforating niay assist in the maintaining of the rectangle wave profile. Typically, the folds, creases, scores, or perforations will typically extend in a linear manner across the sheet, and a series of such folds, creases, scores, or perforations will be located adjacent to one another to form the substantially rectangular wave profile.

A rectangle wave profile includes a square wave profile, in which square profile the height of the profile is equal to the width of a square of the profile (or, in other words, the amplitude is equal to half of the wavelength). As will be discussed in more details below, a square wave profile may be advantageous, since it allows for the formation of triangular section ducts that have an equilateral triangle profile.

Downstream of the profiler 6 is located a former arrangement 10. The former arrangement 10 is arranged to receive the profiled first sheet S from the profiler 6. The former arrangement is further arranged to manipulate in some way the profiled first sheet 8. The manipulation is such that the substantially rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet is converted to, or at least urged towards, a triangular wave profile.

Conversion or urging from a rectangle wave profile to or toward a triangle wave profile may be achieved in one of a number of ways. In a first approach, an at least partial linear acceleration or deceleration of the sheet as it passes through the former arrangement 10 may be undertaken in order to cause upstanding walls of the rectangle wave profile to angle in toward one another to form, or at least begin to form, the triangle wave profile. Ultimately, the walls of the rectangle wave profile are urged toward one another to an extent that the walls touch one another and the sheet forms a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts 12. The bases (i.e. sides facing out from the sheet 12) of the triangle section ducts 12 will together form at least one first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet. That is, the bases align with one another to form such a continuous surface. It is likely that, in practice, two such surfaces will be formed, on opposite sides of the triangular wave profile formed in the sheet 12.

As discussed above, at least in this embodiment the initial profiling of the sheet 4 resulted in a square wave profile 8. During formation of the triangle wave profile 12, the initial square wave profile 8 results in a triangle wave profile in which the sides of the triangles are all the same length. That is, the triangles are equilateral triangles. Equilateral triangles are particularly strong and stable structures, and so profiling comprising or forming such a formation is also particularly strong and stable.

Referring back to Figure 1, a second continuous sheet feeder 14 in the form of a reel is provided. The second continuous sheet feeder 14 is arranged to provide a continuous source of second sheet 16. Again, in other embodiments (not shown) such a second continuous sheet feeder may not be provided, and the apparatus as a whole may be configured to receive sheet from such a continuous sheet feeder.

The apparatus further comprises a first cover arrangement 18. In this embodiment, the cover arrangement 18 is arranged to receive the sheet having the triangle wave profile 12, and to cover the first substantially continuous surface of the profiled first sheet 12 with the second sheet 16. The cover arrangement also attaches the second sheet 16 to the substantially continuous surface of the first sheet 12 to form a composite structure that comprises the profiled first sheet 12 and the covering second sheet 16. The attachment may be achieved using, for instance, adhesive applied to one or both of the continuous surface of the first sheet 12 orthe second sheet 16.

The covering second sheet 16 not only covers the substantially continuous surface of the profiled first sheet 12, which may afford some protection or similar. The covering second sheet 16 also maintains the profiled structural form of the first sheet 12, which maintains the functionality of such profiling.

Although not shown in Figure 1, a cover or capping sheet may also be applied to another substantially continuous surface of the triangle section ducts, that surface being opposite to the surface provided with the layer as shown in Figure 1. This second layer may be provided in much the same way as already described above in relation to the provision of the first cover or capping layer. Sheet used to form the second cover layer on the opposite side of the sheet having the triangle ducts may be provided by a third continuous sheet feeder, which may take the form of a reel of sheet material.

As shown in Figure 1, a continuous composite structure is formed using the depicted apparatus. This allows the composite structure to be constructed in an effective and efficient manner. Should sections of the continuously provided structure be required, one or more cutting, slicing or otherwise dividing arrangements may be located downstream of the former arrangement 15 to in some way section the continuously formed structure into discrete sections.

The apparatus as described is continuous in that a continuous source of one or more sheet materials is used to form the structure, and in a continuous manner. The continuous supply or source of sheet material may be maintained by the use of one or more splicing arrangements, which would be configured to splice sheet from a current sheet feeder (e.g. a current reel) with sheet from a new sheet feeder (e.g. a new reel), to maintain the continuous supply of sheet material.

The sheet material that is used may take any particular form. The sheet material used to form the profiled structure may be different from the material used to form the covering or capping layers. However, the material might be the same, which might make manufacturing and/or ultimate disposal of the structure simpler to implement. Typically, and understandably, the sheet material used to form the structure will be flexible or robust enough to withstand manipulation that is required to form the structure. Typically, the sheet material might comprise or be formed from a paper-product. For instance, the material might comprise sheets of paper, or card, or similar. Such material might be easily sourced, and easily recycled.

In another example, the material might be polymer based, or be metallic in form, or anything that can be sheet fed and manipulated as described above.

Additional and/or altemative detail of principles underlying an embodiment of the present invention will now be provided in Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows the first sheet with the rectangle wave profile 8 entering into and being received by the former arrangement 10. The first sheet having the rectangle wave profile 8 is guided by a guide 20. The guide 20 may comprise one or more plates or similar which define a channel through which the sheet 8 passes. The guide 20 not only guides directional movement of the sheet 8, but may also be used to at least partially maintain the structural form of the rectangle wave profile of the sheet 8. This might be achieved by the channel spacing, or plate separation distance, being substantially equal to, or marginally exceeding, the height or amplitude of the rectangle wave profile.

Although not shown in the Figure, the first sheet having the rectangle wave profile 8 may be carried by a belt. The belt may be profiled with a corresponding or reciprocal rectangle wave profile to maintain the rectangle wave profile of the sheet 8 at it is driven towards the former arrangement 10.

The rectangle wave profile sheet 8 comes into engagement and cooperation with a first profiled belt 22. The first profiled belt 22 comprises a substantially trapezium wave profile.

That is, the profile comprises trapezium shape recesses 24 located in-between (or defined by) inverted trapezium shaped protrusions 26. "Inverted" is understood to mean that the shorter of two parallel sides of the trapezium is located closer to the belt (or a main body thereof, from which the protrusions extend) than the longest of the two parallel sides, which is located furthest from the belt (or a main body thereof, from which the protrusions extend).

The belt as a whole runs around and/or is driven by two rollers, or similar, 28.

As the first profile belt 22 rounds a corner (e.g. rounds a roller 28) proximate to the guide 20), the profile of the first belt 22 is opened up to effectively increase at least the opening of the recesses 24. This opening allows the first profile belt 22 to receive and/or engage with a section of the rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet 8.

A biasing element 29, which might take the form of a blower or arm, might be used to bias the sheet 8 into engagement with the first belt 22.

As the belt moves away from the cornering, the section of the profile that was more open now becomes more closed, substantially bringing protrusions 26 of the belt 22 toward one another to close, or more substantially close, the openings of the recesses 24. The effect is that the first profiled belt 22 now grips the section of the rectangle wave profile of the first profiled sheet 8. The gripping, together with the shape of the protrusions 26 and recesses 24, urges the conversion of the rectangle wave profile of the first sheet 8 toward a more triangle wave profile. The retention, urging, and/or gripping may be, alone, sufficient to permanently urge the conversion from the rectangle wave profile to, or at least toward, the triangle wave profile. Alternatively and/or additionally, further actions may be required, as will be described in more detail below.

The first profile belt 22 then rounds a (other) corner to open up the section of the profile of the belt 22. This time, the opening of the section causes the belt 22 to release and/or disengage from the section of the profiled first sheet 8, which section is now urged towards having a more triangular-like wave profile. "Triangle-like" or "triangular-like" is understood to include a trapezium like profile, "Urged towards" as used herein means that the profile is at least more triangular in form than rectangular in form. For instance, "urged towards" a triangular wave profile includes a situation when the profile is substantially trapezium-like in form, both profiles having a base, and sides extending from the base that are angled inwardly toward one another. Subsequent processing may urge the trapezium-like profile into the more defined triangle-duct form as described above, and, in more detail, below.

A second profiled belt 30, driven by multiple rollers 32 or similar, may then be used (at least) to drive the first sheet, now having a more triangular wave profile, away froni and out of engagement with the first profiled belt 22. To achieve this, the second profile belt 30 is provided with protrusions 34 in the form of fins which are shaped to engage with recesses of the profile of the sheet 8. In addition to driving the first sheet S in this way, the second profile belt 30 might have additional functionality, as will now be described.

The second profiled belt 30 may serve as a timing belt. The second profile belt 30 is, at least in this embodiment, configured to round a corner (e.g. a roller 32) that is proximate to the location of the engagement of the first profiled belt 22 with the rectangle wave profile of the first sheet 8. The second profile belt 30 is arranged to round this corner and open a section of its profile to receive and/or engage with the section of the rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet 8. That is, a square of the first sheet 8 is received in and/or engages with a recess located between protrusions 34 of the second belt 30. At the same time, the protrusions 34 of the second belt 30 engage with recesses 24 of the first belt 22. That is, the protrusions 34 of the second belt 30 are brought into an interdigitated arrangement with the protrusions 26 of the first belt 22.

After this cornering, protrusions 34 of the belt 30 are angled back toward one another (i.e. toward a parallel arrangement) to close up the section of the profile in the second belt 30.

This closing, and aforementioned interdigitation, may retain a section of the rectangle wave profile of the first sheet 8, and/or serve to maintain engagement of the profiled first sheet 8 with the first profiled belt 22.

A distance between the first profiled belt 22 and the second profiled belt 30 when the first sheet B is engaged with both belts 22, 30 may be less than an initial height of the rectangle wave profile of the first sheet 8. Such a restriction may prevent, or assist in preventing, the sheet 8 from leaving the recesses 24 and/or protrusions 26 of the first profile belt 22. Alternatively and/or additionally, this same effect might be achieved by passing the sheet 8 by, through or along one or more guides (e.g. plates) or similar 36 which may extend along one or both sides of the sheet S during the conversion of the sheet's wave profile. Even with such a guide 36, the sheet 8 still engages with recesses and protrusions of respective belts 22, 30. For example, those recesses and/or protrusions 24, 26, 34 are accessible to the sheet by the guide 36 comprising one or more apertures through which the sheet 8 can engage with the belts 22, 23, or the guide being located to one or both sides of the belts 22, 30.

As described above, the second profiled belt 30 drives the sheet 8 away from the first belt 22. At the same time, the second profiled belt 30 rounds a corner (e.g. a roller 32) to open a section of the profile in the second belt 30, and/or to angle away 38 from the profiled first sheet 8, to release and/or disengage from at least a section of the profiled first sheet 8.

The second belt 30 drives the first sheet 8 away from the first profiled belt 22, after the profile of the first sheet has been urged at least partially away from a rectangle wave profile toward a more triangle-like profile. The driving by the second belt 30 is such that the triangle-like profile 42 is urged to be bunched up or compressed in a concertina-like effect, until the triangle section duct like profile 12 is formed, where bases of the duct together form a continuous surface for the sheet.

A guide 40 may assist in restricting off-axis movement of the sheet 8 during this driving, in order to facilitate the compression of the triangle-like profile 42 into the triangle-section duct profile 12. The guide 40 is located on one or more sides of the second profiled belt 30, and/or comprises one or more apertures through which at least protrusion 34 of the belt 30 may extend.

Figure 2 also explains in a more detail how the cover arrangement may apply the cover sheet 16 to the continuous surface of the triangle-section duct profile 12 of the first sheet. In particular, a roller 46 takes or carries the second sheet 16, and brings the second sheet into engagement with the continuous surface. This may be achieved by the roller 46 urging the sheet 16 onto the continuous surface of the triangular ducts 12. To attach the sheet 16, the sheet 16 might previously be provided with adhesive, or simply be adhesive in nature (i.e. formed as an adhesive sheet).

Although not shown, a similar process may be used to apply a second (cover) sheet to a reverse or opposite side of the composite structure.

Although a few preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

Claims 1. A structure formation apparatus, comprising: a first continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of first sheet; a profiler, arranged to receive the continuous source of first sheet from the first continuous sheet feeder, and to profile the first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; a former arrangement, arranged to receive the profiled first sheet, and to manipulate the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; a second continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of second sheet; a first cover arrangement, arranged to cover the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and to attach the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.
2. The structure formation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the former arrangement comprises a first profiled belt that is shaped to receive and co-operate with a first side of the substantially rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet.
3. The structure formation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the profile of the first profiled belt comprises a substantially trapezium wave profile, the profile comprising trapezium shaped recesses located in-between inverted trapezium shaped protrusions.
4. The structure formation apparatus of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the first profiled belt is configured to: round a corner to open up a section of the profile of the first profiled belt to receive and/or engage with a section of the rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet; and/or move from a cornering to close up a section of the profile of the first profiled belt to grip a section of the rectangle wave profile, and to urge the conversion of the rectangle wave profile toward the triangle wave profile; and/or round a corner to open up a section of the profile of the first profiled belt to release and/or disengage from a section of the profiled first sheet, once urged toward a triangle wave profile.
5. The structure formation apparatus of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the former arrangement comprises a second profiled belt that is shaped to co-operate with a second, substantially opposite, side of the substantially rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet.
6. The structure formation apparatus of claim 5, wherein the profile of the second profile belt comprises a plurality of protrusions.
7. The structure formation apparatus of claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the second profiled belt is configured to: round a corner to open up a section of the profile in the second profiled belt to receive and/or engage with a section of the rectangle wave profile of the profiled first sheet; and/or move from a cornering to close up a section of the profile in the second profiled belt to retain a section of the rectangle wave profile and/or to maintain engagement of the profiled first sheet with the first profiled belt; and/or round a corner to open up a section of the profile in the second belt, and/or angle away from the profiled first sheet, to release and/or disengage from a section of the profiled first sheet; and/or drive movement of the first sheet to further the conversion of the profile of the first toward the triangle wave profile.
8. The structure formation apparatus of any preceding claim, opposing bases of the triangle-section ducts together form a second substantially continuous surface with the first sheet, substantially on an opposite side of the triangle-section ducts to the first substantially continuous surface.
9. The structure formation apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: a third continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of third sheet; and a second cover arrangement, arranged to cover the second substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the third sheet, and to attach the third sheet to the second substantially continuous surface of the first sheet.
10. The structure formation apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the first, second and/or third continuous sheet feeders comprises one or more reels of respective sheet material.
11. The structure formation apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the rectangle wave profile is a square wave profile, such that the triangle section ducts are equilateral triangle section ducts.
12. A structure formation apparatus, comprising: a profiler, arranged to continually receive a continuous source of first sheet from a first continuous sheet feeder, and to profile the first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; a former arrangement, arranged to receive the profiled first sheet, and to manipulate the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; a second continuous sheet feeder, arranged to provide a continuous source of second sheet; a first cover arrangement, arranged to continually receive a continuous source of second sheet from a second continuous sheet feeder, and further arranged to cover the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and to attach the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.
13. A method of forming a structure, the method comprising: providing a continuous source of first sheet; profiling the continuous source of first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; manipulating the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; providing a continuous source of second sheet; covering the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and attaching the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.
14. A method of forming a structure, the method comprising: profiling a continuous source of first sheet with a substantially rectangle wave profile; manipulating the profiled first sheet to convert the substantially rectangle wave profile to a triangle wave profile that comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented triangle-section ducts, the bases of which triangle-section ducts together form a first substantially continuous surface with the first sheet; continuously covering the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet with the second sheet, and attaching the second sheet to the first substantially continuous surface of the first sheet to form the structure.
15. A structure formed using the structure forming apparatus of any of claims 1 to 12, or using the method of claim 13 or 14.
16. A structure formation apparatus, and/or a method of forming a structure, and/or a structure formed using that apparatus or method, substantially as described herein, or substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures, or substantially as shown in the accompanying Figures.